Archive for 'my life'

It’s been a difficult couple of weeks. My husband’s uncle fell and ended up in the hospital. Over the course of the following weeks, he’s had surgery and complications and then things looked promising and hopeful, and then bleak, then promising, then bleak. Now he’s going into hospice, though it’s not really clear to me exactly what is wrong. That’s mostly because he’s been very private about his health and now the doctors are discovering things we didn’t know about. The word cancer has arisen, and apparently he’s had multiple small strokes. Anyhow, my husband has gone to help his dad manage things and get his uncle settled somewhere comfortable and where he can get cared for. He fractured a vertebrae when he fell, and broke his nose, and he’s diabetic, so he’s going to need assistance. I wish I could have gone to help too, but the kids have school, I have Orycon and a signing at Powells, and a couple of can’t-miss appointments, and then there are the parent-teacher meetings. So. We’ll be apart for Thanksgiving. At least he’ll be with family.

That’s the bullet we didn’t dodge. On the positive, my husband’s powersteering unit exploded. Okay, that’s not terribly positive, but it happened in the driveway, so he wasn’t out on the road, and my son wasn’t driving it somewhere. I count those as positives.

We also dodged a bullet insomuch as my husband has time he can take off from work.

In the meantime, I’m trying to get people to read my books, as you do when you have a new release and make a living from writing books. So if you’re feeling kind, please consider reviewing my books and telling others about them. Even better, tell me how you like them because I do like to know. And if you have questions, feel free to ask.

I did that. Ran away from home and to the Rainforest Writers Village where I got less work done than I wanted, but I did finish the fourth Diamond City Magic book (Yay!!!) and did some work on the second Mission Magic book. I also got to meet a lot of people I didn’t know, and spend time with others I do, and it was a good time. Patrick Swenson is so amazing for organizing and running this. He’s just fabulous.

I came back to aid the husband who had had his wisdom teeth out right before I left and developed dry sockets, which were very bad. Painful bad. He’s improved, but is still having some pain. In other news, the girlie is quickly becoming a teenager and I’m quickly losing my mind. My stress level is up and I’ve got a raging headache at this moment. I’ve got to seriously figure out some way to get through these next five years or so. Ten? Shit.

I need to learn to meditate. And maybe yoga. And exercise myself into the ground. This might get me through the hateful hormones.

Now I’m watching this very odd movie that is alternately bizarre and funny. I’m very amused. It’s called Mr. Right with Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell. Tim Roth has always been a good actor, but in this, he’s awesome. He does southern accent like nobody’s business. Plus he’s a really a fabulous actor.

Today was lovely sunny. Tomorrow the rain returns. Damn. I was looking forward to another walk in the sun with the dogs tomorrow. Maybe it will be a rainy walk. Or I’ll do some reading. I’ve been managing to enjoy some lately. Hoping for more.

My Father In Law has been visiting, which makes getting work done a little bit tricky, but I’ve managed some. I’m hopefully all finished with a short story that I owed. I’ve made some progress on DCM4. It’s coming along.

I decided I want to make socks again. I need to work on learning some techniques. Youtube here I come. I just hope that my wrist cooperates.

I’m reading a good book by R.J. Blaine. It’s an ARC, so you can’t get it yet, but when Water Viper comes out, you’re going to want to read it if the first bit is anything to go by.

I like to go to estate sales. They sell all sorts of things that either I want and didn’t know it, wanted and didn’t want to pay full price, or stuff that’s interesting but I don’t want. My favorite thing is to find really old stuff that I have no idea what it’s used for. I usually take pictures and then go find out, or sometimes people at the sale know (usually customers). I’m just tickled when I find that stuff.

This weekend I ended up going to three different sales. Two were normal–fairly recent ranch houses with your usual kinds of stuff. I got cheap knitting books (six of them!), some cds, a really cool iron rose trellis (I’ve so wanted one of those but didn’t want to pay the retail price for them), and a kitchen spoon. I seem to melt those or toss those out with alarming frequency. Anyhow, they just disappear.

At another sale, I coveted a metal plant stand. It had six round pot holders and they all folded up under each other. You could position it in a circle or a line or a zig-zag. But it was more than I want to spend. But I did get a black marble rolling pin. I waffled on it, then decided it could work well for me. It’s freaking heavy. I got home, washed it, and then used it to roll out some bread dough before rolling it back up and putting it in the pans to rise (sourdough buttermilk bread!). It worked like a dream. So much easier for my daughter, too. She wanted to help. This will be really nice for making cutout cookies, too. And a couple weeks ago we got a gingerbread house form so it will probably help us make that.

The other sale was in a really old house. It was in not so great shape, but the woman who owned it had been a spinner and a sewer. There were at least 5 spinning wheels. So cool. And at least as many sewing machines, some antique. The owners hadn’t thrown anything away for a long time. I went because of rumors of a yarn stash, but it was mostly gone before I got there. But! I mentioned they had the wheels to a friend. She told me her sister wanted to try spinning. I took pictures of all the wheels and emailed them to her. Her sister ended up buying one.

I think spinning is so very cool. They even had this handcranked carder machine. I didn’t even know those existed.

We also took stuff over to donate. This is stuff that’s been in the garage waiting for us to want to use it. Since I didn’t anticipate it happening any time soon, I decided it would do better helping other people.

One house I went to this summer had really cool lights. They’d made them out of salvaged materials and were so cool. Wish I’d taken pictures. I sometimes find really cool rocks at sales. It’s one of the main reasons I go. I’ve found some really cool desert rose, giant pieces of obsidian, a lot of petrified wood, and

Now I’m doing some writing.

And for you–a snippet from the next Diamond City Magic novel! I hope you like.

I’m sick. But I don’t know why. I don’t know if it’s a virus or bacteria type thing, or hormonal, or just me being a freak. Mostly I’ve been feeling terrible, with a stupidly low temperature (under normal) in the a.m. and a fever over 100 in the evenings. And an awful pain in my knee/thigh. Plus dizziness, foggy brain, and some nausea. Oh, and chills.

I guess it’s time for me to call my doctor. Gah. I don’t wanna. *cue stomping feet and tantruming*.

However, despite feeling like crap, we (and that mostly is the rest of my family with me being in the support role) mowed lawns, rototilled garden beds with compost and such, planted some of the beds, sprayed some weeds, planted a couple of other plants, went to the Saturday market, went to an estate sale, took boy driving, fertilized the strawberries with worm castings, installed an electrical outlet on the patio, and some other stuff.

I also managed to update my website. Yay for me. I also have been working on getting the dogs not to bark so much. Not sure that’s working at all.

I apparently burned my tongue. I don’t remember when. Or how. But it hurts and I’m whining.

First, Trace of Magic is on sale for one more day. Only $1.99 for the ebook. If you haven’t read it, now’s your chance to get in cheap.

Second, Whisper of Shadows, the third in the Diamond City Magic series, is available for preorder. There will be a print version, but I don’t think that preorder is available. Below is the back of the book blurb:

War is coming . . .

When the FBI uses an anti-magic law to arrest and torture Riley’s boyfriend, they have no idea what hell they are about to unleash. If Riley can’t rescue Clay before he breaks, the result will be a disaster of epic proportions.

With time running out, Riley and her family must rely on two people more likely to stab them in the back than actually help. And, even if Riley manages the rescue, she’s still got to deal with two kidnappings and the return of her dad from the dead–the same dad who’d been willing to see her dead to protect his secrets.

What’s a girl to do? Kick ass, take names, and protect those she cares about at all costs.

I finished a short story today for an anthology set in Faith Hunters Rogue World. If you haven’t read those books, they are wonderful. You should.

I manage to nearly break myself today, but only came away bruise and battered. Who knew gardening was a contact sport?

I was part of an SF Signal Mind Meld where a bunch of authors were asked about good, recent “popcorn” books or TV. Here are the answers. Just in case your TBR pile/mountain was too small.

I put a bunch of colors in my hair and still have one more to go. Pictures later. But I’ve got blue, orchid, and pink in, and violet to follow.

Actually two couches, but we have them! After a month without, we have them. And the dogs are so happy. Kids are too. And me too. It’s so very nice to actually have them instead of sitting in camp chairs. It’s like a little miracle!!!

Yeah, I know, lots of exclamation points, but I’m that happy. I can’t even tell you how happy the dogs are. They have us sitting farther back from the TV, which is kind of weird, but there’s a lot more open room on the floor for the dogs to wrestle around.

Couches look like leather, but are made from microfiber that apparently will clean up with soap and water. I’m hoping it holds up to kids and dogs. Also, boy of size has grown again. He’s almost 6’3″ I have no idea how that happened. And he’s still going up.

Okay, was in California for the last week. Not so great beyond. We went to visit family and friends and had a lot of fun. A lot. And ate a ton plus did a lot of cooking. Long drive both ways, but we are home again and so happy to be so. The dogs especially. They are now collapsed on the couch acting like they’ve been run ragged. Yeah. Not so much. We came home with a bunch of mandarin oranges fresh out of the orchard. So yum.

I had a thought though. When I was researching a sociopath character for Blood Winter, I read that 1 in 25 people are sociopaths and fewer are psychopaths. A lot of researchers say they are the same, and others argue there are differences). I’m in the differences camp. That doesn’t mean they have to be serial killers or criminals. Just people who lack conscience, empathy, or remorse, to put it in shorthand. Apparently, a lot more people are psychopaths or sociopaths than we think. The question is, which ones? The thing about these people is that they are very good at disguising themselves and mimicking real life, particularly psychopaths. I think I know one. Rather, I think I’ve identified one in my life. I didn’t realize it until this week. Lack of empathy, lack of remorse, manipulative, charismatic, and totally self-centered. They often lie, have superficial charm, and tend toward impulsiveness. This person fits the bill. I just never realized the lies before, or the manipulation. S/he also mimics real emotion well. If this is true, it means that I have to reevaluate how I deal with this person.

It’s fascinating on one level and really disturbing on another. Read this:

Imagine – if you can – not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken.

And pretend that the concept of responsibility is unknown to you, except as a burden others seem to accept without question, like gullible fools.

Now add to this strange fantasy the ability to conceal from other people that your psychological makeup is radically different from theirs. Since everyone simply assumes that conscience is universal among human beings, hiding the fact that you are conscience-free is nearly effortless.

You are not held back from any of your desires by guilt or shame, and you are never confronted by others for your cold-bloodedness. The ice water in your veins is so bizarre, so completely outside of their personal experience, that they seldom even guess at your condition.

In other words, you are completely free of internal restraints, and your unhampered liberty to do just as you please, with no pangs of conscience, is conveniently invisible to the world.

You can do anything at all, and still your strange advantage over the majority of people, who are kept in line by their consciences will most likely remain undiscovered. From The Psychopath, the Mask of Sanity.

Do you know anyone like this? And are you sure? Because remember, they conceal and mimic. I’ll have to go back to my research and investigate how to interact with a psychopath. See what happens.